JanSport president was drunk when he crashed, CHP says

Published 11:06 am, Friday, July 27, 2007

2007-07-27 11:06:00 PDT DANVILLE -- The president of the JanSport backpack company was drunk when he crashed his car July 14 in Danville, killing himself and injuring his 16-year-old daughter and another teenager, authorities said today.

Toxicology tests show that Michael Corvino's blood-alcohol level was 0.21 percent, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent, when he lost control of his 1970 Dodge Charger and struck a tree on Camino Tassajara near his Danville home about 5:30 p.m., said Officer Steve Creel of the California Highway Patrol.

"A mechanical inspection looked at if there was any mechanical failure, but everything checked out on the car," Creel said.

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None of the three people in the car was wearing a seat belt, though Corvino, 46, might have been killed even if he had been buckled in, Creel said.

Corvino's daughter and her boyfriend were both treated and released.

"It was a moot issue for the driver, but we are very lucky this wasn't a multiple fatality collision," Creel said. "The passengers suffered minor lacerations and contusions, but certainly the psychological effects of being involved in a fatal collision are going to be long-lasting."

Corvino moved to the Bay Area in 2004 after being promoted to president of JanSport, the San Leandro backpack company that is a subsidiary of Vanity Fair Corp. He had worked for the apparel and sportswear corporation for 15 years, during which he held several positions, including vice president of sales and merchandising for Vanity Fair Imagewear.